Toy.



P. J. SCHRADER.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1a, 1916.

1,288,226. Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

6V. 5X 7 Q IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE YS.

PAUL J; SCHBADEB, OF CHICAGO, IIiLINOIS.

. TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed December 13, 1916. Serial No. 136,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. PAUL J. SCHRADER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to childrens toys particularly of the type wherein various separate elements are provided, some of one kind andsome of another, designed to be detachably assembled to form various structures. In other words, the invention relates to toys by means of which built up structures may be produced. This toy comprises rods, preferably of rectangular cross-section, and elements for connecting them together at the ends so as to hold them either in alinement or at right angles to each other, or at intermediate angles, as may be desired by the biiilder. The object of my invention is: first to obtain simply constructed means whereby the parts may be held in assembled relation; second, to provide connecting means which shall not rapidly deteriorate through use; third, to provide connections such that the assembled structure shall possess great rigidity and strength and offer high resistance to breakage when'pressure is exerted in any or every direction; fourth, to provide a construction such that the toy when disassembled may be closely packed and occupy but small compass, oflering'few, if any, interstitial spaces; fifth, to provide a toy havin connecting elementsvwhich may be stampe from sheet material, such as metal or fiber; sixth, to provide a connecting element readily lending itself to manufacture by comparatively simple dies; and seventh, to provide a construction in which the rods may be produced entirely by sawing in distinction to turning.

I accomplish my objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing an assembled structure formed from a few of the toy elements.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing various elements, some 'of which are separated from the others to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showin the end of one of the rods and one form 0 connecting member.

Similarnumerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The rods are of various lengths and for the purpose of illustration I have shown rods 1, 2 and 3 of three different lengths, the rods 1 being the longest, rods 3 the shortest and the rods 2 of Intermediate length. It will have transverse slots 4 and 5 as best shown in Fig. 3. By preference, these slots are at right angles to each other and parallel respectlvely to the edges and sides of the rod.

In the best form, the bottoms of these slots are squared to form abutments or seats for the inserted edges of the connecting elements presently to be described.

In the form selected to illustrate the invention, the main connecting members consist of plates 6 formed of sheet material, preferably fiber or thin gage metal. In the best design these plates are polygonal in outline. In the present case they are octagonal. Said plates are provided with fins 7 arranged at right angle to the plates and in the form here illustrated, said fins consist of separate pieces, as best shown in Fig. 2. The fins have slots 8 wide enough to snugly receive the plate and the plate has a number of slots 9 which snugly receive the fins. Hence when the plates and fins are assembled they give the effect of constituting a single piece in so far as their function as connectors is concerned. In the best design, the slots 9 extend radially from the middle point of each side of the polygon, hence in the present instance there are eight of these slots in each plate and they lie atan angle of forty-five degrees apart. By preference, the width of the slots and the gage of the sheet material are so proportioned that the fin may be detached from the plate by exerting a'moderate force by the thumb and finger, but in any event. the tendency of the parts is to stay assembled.

The plates 6 and their fins i may be considered as the main connecting members because they are capable of forming centers from which radiate a number of different rods. By arranging the rods with their greatest Width transversely placed (as shown in the upper portion of Fig. l) s many as eight rods may be connected to a single plate, and when thus connected their corners will be tangent, as indicated. By arranging the rods fiatwise, as shown at the lower portion of Fig. 1, instead of edgewise, as shown at the upper portion of the figure, onl four rods may be accommodated and their corners will then be tangent, as indicated at the bottom oil Fig. 1. This forms a source of strength as part of the sidewise strain will he taken up by companion rods.

l have made provision for also attaching two rods end to end in alineinent with each other. The means for accomplishing this is shown in the lower portion of Fig. 3, wherein l have shown two rectangular elements 10, ll, forming a member which l will refer to as a cross. The constituent elements of this cross are of sheet material of the same substance and thickness as plates (5 and tins 7, but of twice the length of the fins 2'. Hence, they fit snugly into the slotted ends of the rods and when thus assembled hold two rods in alinement. By preference the elements 10 and ll are counter slotted for assembly and can be separated by applying; a moderate force to them.

in operation. the user commences with the parts disassembled and then proceeds to build up a structure by selecting the various elements as fancy dictates and assembling them in the manner which will be apparent from the foregoing description. On account of the shape of the parts a. great Variety of structures may he produced and these will simulate mechanical and architectural structures, thus lending special interest. And

these structures will possess rigidity and strength greater than might be expected tron]: mere inspection. As the connecting members, both main and secondary, comprise elements whose planes are arranged at right angles to each other, a high resistance to breakage is offered regardless of the direction of strain. The structure is fortitied against strain in any direction. Fur thermore, the individual parts are easy to assemble and are but slightly susceptible to wear, for no compression need be exerted upon the wooden members (of which sub stance the rods are preferably composed) lie-cause said Wooden members fit over and receive the connecting members. The toy is also simple to manufacture, the ends of the rods simply being slotted, which can be done by sawing, while the plates may be readily punched. When the parts are all separated they may be stowed away in a relatively small container for the reason that the rods, heiug of rectangular cross-section. may be laid surface to surface without producing any interstitial spaces, while the connecting elements, being of sheet metal, may also be made to occupy a comparatively small space.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A built-up toy, comprising a plurality of rods each having an end provided with slots intersecting each other at right angles, a continuously fiat connecting element engaged in one series of corresponding slots of the bars, transverse fins carried by the connecting element and engaged respectively in the other series of slots, the fins being so positioned on the element that when the rods are secured at adjacent points on the element the ends of said rods are engaged and brace the resulting structure.

in witness whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name.

J. SQHRADER. 

